5 FAQs About Detox That You Need To Know

One of the most talked about but least understood aspects of overcoming drug or alcohol addiction is detox. The mystery surrounding the process often stems from the fact that everyone’s experience with it is different.

FAQs About Detox

To help minimize the unknowns, we’ve listed five of the most common questions we get asked about detox and have provided answers. If you’ve had questions about the process, we encourage you to keep reading!

1. What Exactly Is Detox?

Prior to entering a recovery program, you will need to rid your body of all intoxicating substances. If you’ve been abusing drugs and/or alcohol for an extended period of time, your body has built up a tolerance. The elimination process of these substances from your body is called detoxification or detox for short. This is the first step in breaking the dangerous cycle of addiction and establishes the foundation for starting on the journey of recovery.

2. How Do I Know If I Need Detox?

Anyone who is considering treatment for drug or alcohol addiction should be evaluated to determine whether or not detox is needed. Although you’ve probably been in denial for some time about your problem, this is the time to be honest with your healthcare provider. Leaving out key details about your usage may cause you to not get the help that you actually need.

There are also symptoms that you may have already experienced that signal that detox is necessary. These include loss of appetite, abdominal pains, fever, sweats, blood pressure or heart rate irregularities, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, depression, restlessness, poor concentration, insomnia, and paranoia.

3. Is Detox Painful?

This is probably the most common question asked about detox. This has much to do with how detox is depicted on TV and in movies. Fortunately, there have been tremendous advances when it comes to recovery and medically-supervised detox. Many individuals who complete detox will tell you that their experience was not as bad as they thought it would be. Of course, some have painful and unpleasant symptoms.

What is important to remember is that detox is an intense experience, and it isn’t easy to break old, destructive habits and experience the physical withdrawal as toxins leave the body. Different substances present varying detox symptoms. This is why it’s so vital to get help at a medically supervised detox center.

At Summit Estate’s medical detox program, we regularly monitor your symptoms and vitals and most importantly, we strive to keep you as safe and as comfortable as possible.

4. How Long Does Detox Last?

This is another very common question because there are no set guidelines. Just as symptoms can vary, so can the length of the detox process. In general, the longer you’ve been using the substance, the longer the detox process will take. If you’ve done any internet research on the topic of detox, you probably noticed a variety of average lengths of time. However, most of these fall into the range of several days to several weeks.

5. What Happens After Detox?

This may be the most important question of all! It’s very important to know that detox is only the first step in the recovery process and is never considered to be a stand-alone treatment option. Once you’ve achieved physical stabilization and are substance-free, it’s time to enter a recovery program that can help you understand triggers that led to the addiction, overcome cravings, and build a new life that will help sustain your goal of lifelong recovery.

Start On Your Journey To Healing And Recovery

A safe and comfortable detox is available to you through our medical detox program in Northern CA. We will create a customized rehabilitation plan for your individual needs and goals. Why not take the first step in recovery? Our caring and professional staff is waiting for your call.

If you have PPO coverage from a major insurance provider, your treatment may be covered. We are unable to accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Kaiser, Healthnet or Humana at this time.

Summit Estate Recovery Center is accredited through the Joint Commission. This organization seeks to enhance the lives of the persons served in healthcare settings through a consultative accreditation process emphasizing quality, value and optimal outcomes of services.

Organizations that earn the Gold Seal of Approval™ have met or exceeded The Joint Commission’s rigorous performance standards to obtain this distinctive and internationally recognized accreditation. Learn more about this accreditation here.